The Captain Wedding

 Brian and Jenny Derfler Wedding Ceremony

Introduction:

Hello and welcome! My name is Tony, I am a longtime friend and brother of the groom, and I will

be officiating their wedding ceremony today.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness Brian and Jenny (Thę Captain and his First mate) pledge to each other that if there is such a thing in this world as a soul mate, these two have found theirs in each other.

Jenny, Brian, this marriage does not mark the beginning of a new relationship for you; rather, it is an acknowledgement and a celebration of the love and life you share together. You are here to affirm the choice you make every day to stand together as partners and to love each other unconditionally.

Love is listening to each other, supporting each other, and enjoying this adventure of life with each other. It is not an excuse to stop growing, not an excuse to stop making yourself better, and not an excuse to take the other person for granted.  The two of you must lean on each other, but not so much as to suffocate the other.  Love is being honest with each other, having the capacity to forgive and forget, finding dreams to share and common goals to work towards, and sharing responsibilities equally. Love is learning when it is time to speak and when it is time to listen. It is trusting that as your lives continue to grow and change, you will keep in step and move forward together. Your love is not a feeling to be taken lightly, but a privilege to be cherished and nurtured.  Love is standing together, facing the world.  It is not only finding the right partner, it is continually working to be the right partner.

Sand Ceremony:

Today the two of you are making a life-long commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other.

Your relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand; each representing all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be. Each one holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without the need of anything else. When the two are blended together they represent an entirely new and extraordinary relationship. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the combination.

You may now pick up your individual vases of sand.

As you hold your sand, the separate containers of sand represent your lives to this moment; individual and unique. As you now combine your sands together, your lives also join together as one.

You may now blend the sands together, symbolizing the uniting of the bride and groom as one.

(we pour our sands until they are emptied)

The life that each of you have experienced until now, individually, will hereafter be inseparably united, for the two sands are now one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into their individual containers, so will your marriage be.

Vows:

Jenny and Brian: Having considered all that love and marriage entail, I ask that you each now make your personal vows to each other.

*Jenny’s vows*

*Brian’s vows*

I now ask you both to affirm your wedding vows.

Jenny, First Mate, do you take Brian Thę Captain to be your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?

Jenny-I do.

Brian, Thę Captain, do you take Your first mate to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?

Brian-I do.

Ring Exchange:

Jenny and Brian, First mate and Captain. These rings that you will now exchange are a symbol of your love and evidence that you are never alone, but carry each other with you in everything you do.

Jenny, please place this ring on Brian’s finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I marry your ass.”

Jenny: With this ring, I marry your ass.

Brian, please place this ring on Jenny’s finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I marry your ass.” 

Brian: With this ring, I marry your ass.

Proclamation:

Jenny, Brian, you have begun your marriage here today in speaking these vows, and you will continue to live it in the days and years to come, standing by each other, sharing all the sweet and the bitter of life. We recognize and respect these vows you have made here on this day, before each one of us as a witness. Therefore, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife! Brian, you may now kiss the bride.

KISS!

Jenny and Brian, may the happiness you share today be with you always, and may every word you have pledged here be a constant and living truth in your lives. I now have the great honor to introduce to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Derfler!